The profile screen in the default theme normally consists of a single main pane, with an additional menu to the left to lead you through the editing options for your own profile. Please note that, because an SMF forum may be customized extensively by its administrator(s), the features and user permissions described here are typical rather than definitive.

To edit your own profile, start by selecting Profile from the main menu or clicking your own username. You can also view (but not edit) other members' profiles by clicking on their names.

This Summary screen is not only there to tell you about others, but also the first screen that you see when editing your own profile.

Members may choose to hide their email address and/or online status.

The fields left empty here are not filled in by default, so you should edit your profile if you wish to display this information.

You can send the profile owner a Personal Message by clicking the Current StatusOn/Offline Icon or following the link from Additional Information below.

Show the last posts of this person links to a complete paginated listing of the member's posts.

Show general statistics for this member links to a screen of statistics about the member's time online and posting activity.

Settings Normally Available to Profile Owners

While the Summary screen is the same as the one shown above and the Show Posts and Show Stats links are effectively duplicates, profile owners are also provided with the tools to customize their own profiles:

Modify Profile

Account Related Settings enables you to make changes to your display name (your login or username can only be changed by an administrator), preferred language (if the forum administrators have installed alternative language packs), email and password settings.

Forum Profile Information enables you to enter optional personal details such as gender, birthdate, location, website and instant messenger contact information. It's also where you go to enter your own personal text and signature and select an avatar (personal picture) from a list (if provided by the forum administrators) or link to one of your own on the web.

Look and Layout Preferences enables you to select your preferred theme (forum skin), time zone and format and other personal choices for layout settings. Note that the currently selected option in the menu pane is highlighted in bold type: